Filename:        TREASURE.TXT
Codes:           nosex
Author's name:   Kizul Emeraldfire
Author's e-mail: KizulEmeraldfire@gmail.com
Story title:     Treasure Seekers, chapter 1

Story codes taken from
http://www.asstr.org/~Uther_Pendragon/code/scfr.htm



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don't remove the author information or make any changes
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Thank you for your consideration.
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    This is the tale of two treasure-hunting sisters.
The older one, Jen, is nineteen years of age, and takes
care of her younger sister, Tanya, and together they
search for wondrous treasures and strange artifacts.
    Unfortunately, their life is not easy. Their mother
died when Jen was young while giving birth to Tanya, and
later, after Tanya was about seven years old, their
father disappeared.
    After waiting several days for him to come back,
Jen came to the conclusion that he would never return,
and they moved into the nearby inn.
    They ended up having to steal sometimes in order to
make ends meet, barely having enough food to eat some
days. The sisters both were tired of stealing, and would
have much prefered not to. And so it was that Tanya came
up with the idea of treasure-hunting.
    Jen has looked after Tanya for eight-odd years since
the disappearance of their father, and though they do
search for treasure, the older of the two sisters also
secretly searches for some sign of their father, hoping
that one day they may reunite, and be a family once
more.

    On a particularly gloomy-looking day, Tanya and Jen
were in the market, selling the latest of their findings
to earn money for their rent, and running a few errands
for the innkeeper. As their stock gradually ran down,
Jen noticed a beggar who looked to be selling maps. He
didn't seem to be having much luck.
    When it was near the end of the day, she helped
Tanya pack up what little they hadn't sold, and told her
that she'd meet her back at the inn. Jen waited until
her sister was out of sight, then confronted the elderly
beggar-man.
    "I've seen you around. You're selling maps?" Jen
asked, smiling lightly at the old man.
    "Indeed, miss!"
    "Tell me, what kind of maps?"
    "Treasure maps." The old man cast a rather doubtful
look at Jen, figuring she wouldn't buy any, either.
    "You may be in luck, old man, for I happen to be
a treasure-hunter. May I see some of these maps?" Jen
asked the man hopefully.
    The man's face brightened. "Certainly! Have a look
at this -- a map of the forest of Kahsii!" Jen took the
map from the old man, examining it closely.
    "This is a fake," she said, looking up from her
examination. "See here, the edges have been *cut* to
look like they're ragged. They weren't torn."
    The elderly man peered at the map. "Well I'll be,
you're right... in that case, have a look at this -- a
map of the Sarkugan desert!" He thrust another piece of
parchment under Jen's nose, and she studied it for a few
minutes as well.
    "Also a fake -- this parchment is far too new for
the year written here to be right, you can tell by the
feel of it." She handed the map back to the beggar-man.
    "Yes, yes, I see it now -- how about this one,
then -- a map of the entire flying island of Harus!" he
handed her a rather battered piece of old parchment,
which she spent several minutes studying.
    "Hm... I think this might just be a real -- wait a
minute... no, this is a fake as well, but very well-
made -- if you flip it over, you can tell it's fake
because the ink doesn't leak through to the other side
at all, not even in the heaviest of ink blots." Once
again, she handed the map back, and was beginning to
feel doubtful that the man had any real maps to sell.
"Do you have any real, genuine treasure maps at all?"
    The man shifted uneasily. "Well, the truth is I only
have one REAL map... hold on a moment." Jen watched as
he put down the pile of parchments, pulling a few out of
his tattered coat and adding them to the pile as well
before finally pulling out a very creased, wrinkled and
torn sheaf of parchment, and she couldn't help but think
it resembled himself somewhat.
    "This is a map of the marshlands to the south; there
is supposedly some sort of temple or castle or something
deep in the center. If I were a few decades younger, I'd
use this map myself to find whatever's in there, but I'm
far too old now."
    Jen started to reach for the map that the man held,
but he pulled it close and huddled over it. "Oh no, you
don't get to see this one until AFTER I see you have the
money for it. One hundred and fifty gold coins, take it
or leave it."
    She grumbled, but took out her gold-pouch, glaring a
little at the man. Jen supposed he had a reason to be
protective of the map, especially if it were a REAL map,
but it was still a rather high price to pay just to buy
a map. She opened the pouch wide so that he could see
into it. "This is one hundred and sixty-four -- will it
do?"
    The ragged beggar-man leaned forward a bit, looking
into the pouch. "It will indeed. So -- a deal's a deal,
one-fifty gold for this map."
    Jen frowned. "Make it seventy-five and you've got a
deal, sir."
    He rolled his eyes. Hagglers -- there were no end to
them. "One-twenty-five."
    "Eighty-five."
    "One-fifteen."
    "Ninety."
    "One hundred."
    She grumbled again. "Deal." Jen grudgingly separated
sixty-four of the coins, slipping them into another
pouch and giving the old man the heavier one. "Now hand
over this map." She held out her other hand expectantly.
    "Very well then -- I believe you'll find it to be
worth the cost. Thank you for your business!" The beggar
handed her the map and waved as he walked away, dusk
beginning to give way to night.
    Jen went to one of the street lamps and examined the
tattered piece of parchment in its orange-y glow, but
couldn't find any of the usual signs of forgery.
Presently, she suddenly realized how much time had
passed while she'd been talking with the beggar-man.
"I'd better get back to the inn -- Tanya must be
wondering what's keeping me. I bet she'll be surprised
when I tell her I've found a real treasure map!"
    So, she hurried back to the inn, keeping to the main
roads and avoiding the alleys (for obvious reasons, of
course -- no sense losing a map not used!), wiping her
worn boots on the rather filthy mat in front of the door
before entering.

    A bit of a haze hung over everything inside; the
inn smelled of beer, smoke, freshly-baked bread, and
was as merrily-active as ever. People were eating,
people were drinking, and people dancing, and some
people were even doing all three.
    Some of the regular drinkers were flirting with the
barmaids, some of whom looked rather exasperated, but
were putting up with it anyway.
    The piano player was doing quite a lively tune that
night, playing amazingly well for a man that, by the
look of things, had been drinking on-and-off for the
past several hours, swaying a little on the bench he sat
upon.
    Tanya sat near the end of the bar, also being hit on
by one of the drunks, anxiously waiting for her sister
as she sipped some of the beer that the man had insisted
on buying for her.
    His name was Edgar. He was middle-aged, a rather
heavy-set man, red-headed to boot with a bushy beard and
large moustache, and didn't seem to notice that Tanya,
who was at least forty years younger than he, wasn't the
least bit interested in him.
    It wasn't until Jen suddenly ran up to Tanya and
hugged her sister that he finally realized, if a little
incorrectly, that he wasn't very wanted.
    "I'm shorry, mish -- I didn' know you wuszh already
taken..." He cleared his throat and staggered off to
another seat, striking up a lively chat with one of the
other regulars.
    Tanya giggled as he left, hugging her sister in
return. "Thanks Jen."
    "Hey, what are big sisters for? Wasn't a problem."
Jen grinned and hopped onto the stool that Edgar had
vacated, ordering a beer for herself.
    "So what took you so long to get back, sis?" Tanya
asked, taking another sip of her drink. She'd never
ordered anything alcoholic before, because she didn't
think she'd really like it much, but the taste of beer
was starting to grow on her.
    "I found a map, a real treasure map this time!"
Jen's smile widened further as she pulled out the map,
sliding it towards Tanya as the bartender handed her a
stein filled with frothy drink.
    "The marshlands... but I thought the temple there
was just s'posed to be some old myth!"
    "So'd I, but the guy who sold it to me was far too
protective of it for it NOT to be a real map. I checked
it out, too -- I can't find any trace of forgery
anyplace on it."
    "How much did you pay for it?"
    "Ahh..." Jen looked away and took a large gulp of
her beer as she scanned the crowd of people on the floor
through the smokey haze.
    "How much?" Tanya asked again, a little bit of irk
in her tone. Jen sighed and turned back to her sister.
    "A hundred gold pieces, but he said we'd find it
worth the price."
    "One hundred-! That's almost enough to pay rent for
two months!"
    "But what if this map IS REAL, sis? We'd be able to
have enough to live on for YEARS -- think about it. We
could even move out of this inn!" We might even be able
to find father, she mentally added.
    Tanya took another sip of beer, a bit larger this
time -- she was starting to rather like the taste.
"Alright, s'posing this map IS the real deal -- how do
we get there and back ALIVE? There're monsters out
there, Jen -- we don't have the money to pay rent AND
hire people to defend us."
    "I've already studied the map; it shows a safe route
through the marshlands, free of monsters -- we'll be
able to get to the temple easily!"
    Tanya considered for a moment. "But what about
INSIDE it? There might be monsters IN it, or at least
boobytraps or something."
    It was Jen's turn to think. As she did so, the piano
player finally toppled over, snoring rather loudly upon
the keys. Someone volunteered to play, but was shot down
by another man who knew him, saying that he only knew
one song and could play naught but it.
    Finally she answered. "I suppose you're right about
the inside -- how do we know what's in it, other than
treasure?"
    "Well... if the route is as safe as you say, we
MIGHT be able to survive INside, as long as there's only
traps and treasure, and no monsters."
    "Yeah, after all -- we have our wits, our courage,
and our intelligence!" The two sisters toasted each
other, accidentally slopping some beer onto the
countertop.
    "So we're going?"
    "Definitely! But first, has the rent been payed?"
    "Yeah, I payed for this month and next as soon as I
came back."
    "Good, good -- how much gold do you have left?"
    "Forty-one pieces."
    "Hmm... I hope a hundred and five is enough for the
supplies we'll need for the journey."
    "Should be -- I'm great at finding good deals!"
    Jen chuckled and finished her beer, just swallowing
the last bit as a fight broke out on the floor. "Let's
get some rest first, then we'll get the supplies in the
morning." She hopped off her stool and picked up the
map, slipping it back into her pocket as she held out
her hand. "Whaddaya say, Tanya?"
    Tanya had also decided to finish all of her beer,
but unfortunately there had been quite a bit more in her
stein than in her sister's, and she wasn't nearly as
used to alcohol as Jen. She suddenly found herself quite
tipsy.
    "Soundszh good t'me, sis!" She hopped off her stool
as well, but found herself unable to stand as steadily
as normal. "Whoa, the room'szh spinnin'! Make it stop!"
Tanya flailed to keep her balance, but fell over towards
her sister who caught her as she fell.
    "On second thought, we'll get the supplies in the
afternoon -- you need to sleep this off." Jen giggled.
"Come on, I'll help you up the stairs."
    The two sisters made for the stairs, the younger
leaning on the older as though Jen were a crutch, and
walked as well as they could up the stairs together, 
turning right and entering the third room on the left,
which was their own room. Once inside, she helped her
sister walk to the large bed.
    As Tanya released her grip on Jen, her hand slid
downward, giving a playful squeeze as it brushed against
her sister's bottom, causing Jen to yelp.
    "Tanya!" 
    "Sorry, sis, my hand mus've slipped." Tanya
scratched the back of her head a little embarrassedly.
    Jen giggled. "Come on, sis -- you're drunk, and we
need to get stuff tomorrow if we're gonna follow the
map." She walked to the dresser by the side of the bed
and pulled out a pair of nightgowns. "And, since I'm
getting an early start tomorrow -- we should go to bed,"
Jen said as she tossed one of the nightgowns to Tanya.
    They both undressed, piling their day-clothing into
an unceremonious heap on the floor at the foot of the
bed. Jen was just starting to slip her nightgown on when
she noticed her sister was staring at her again, and
paused.
    Tanya had been doing this for the past few weeks,
but had always tried to hide that she was staring --
tonight, however, she was openly oggling her sister,
both of them in their underwear.
    The younger sibling blushed and looked away as Jen
looked at her, and fumbled with putting her nightgown
on. Jen gave a small smile and shook her head as she
pulled her nightgown on.
    After getting dressed in their nightclothes, they
climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to their necks
as they layed down to sleep.
    Tanya fell asleep almost instantly, breathing a
little loudly, and Jen pulled out the map again,
examining it one last time before folding it up and
tucking it into her bosom again, turning down the oil
lamp and smiling at her peacefully-sleeping sister as
she, too, nodded off.



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This story was written as an adult fantasy. The author
does not condone the described behavior in real life.

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